Airborne 12.09.16

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Airborne 12.09.16

Diamond Aircraft Exec Says Low Weight Could Make It A Leading LSA Powerplant

After two and a half years of development, Austro Engine said its new AE80R rotary engine was successfully run on its test bench on Tuesday. The company says the new engine is expected to weigh just 60 pounds and produce 80 horsepower.

The engine follows development of the AE50R (55 PS Austro Engine rotary engine). The company said the new engine no longer experiences the lubrication system loss noted in the previous design, which results in an extremely low oil consumption. The engine is designed to operate with a dual FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) controlled fuel injection system to keep fuel consumption at the lowest possible level. It has been designed to provide power to small manned or unmanned aircraft.

According to Christian Dries, Chairman and Owner Diamond Aircraft, the AE80R might have the potential to become one of the leaders in the extremely weight sensitive LSA (Light Sport Aircraft) and ultra-light markets, as well as providing power for UAVs. “The engine has no vibration and therefore it is ideal to power UAVs with highly sensitive equipment,” he said.

Austro Engine's production and R & D departments are located in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. The company says on its website that it has already delivered more than 1750 civilian and military piston and rotary engines.